The Red King
by Sonata IX
Summary: The Goblin King is no more and the White Queen’s reign begins, but there is always another challenger. [Jareth&Sarah, complete]
1. Chapter 1

February 22, 2006: Some time ago, I received a comment about how I refer to Jareth as a snowy owl when he is in fact a barn owl. I would just like to clarify that in my story, 'snowy' refers to color, not breed. I didn't even know there was a breed called snowy owl or I may have used a different descriptive term there.

Author's Note: Churned this out in about a week. I said no more stories after I finish my current ones, but sometimes the idea strikes and there's nothing to be done for it but to write it out. This story was inspired by Nene Thomas's "Queen of Owls" painting. If you want a good idea of what the White Queen looks like, check it out on her website It's also inspired by the fact that I got really tired of stories where either J/S are a happy normal-ish couple or else Jareth is too proud and Sarah is too stubborn and there are buckets of angst.

Chapter One: The Legend of the White Queen

_Underground. The Castle Beyond the Goblin City.  
Three days after the fall of the Goblin King._

There was a party in the throne room, and every goblin in the realm was there. Goblins meshed together in the pits, goblins climbing the walls, goblins tumbling over each other's smelly, dirty bodies, for there were chickens to be chased and plucked, beers to be gulped and belched, and thrones to be piddled on. And there was no one, _absolutely no one_, to stop them.

The Goblin King was dead.

The celebrating began a mere thirteen hours after the ruler's demise. The goblins showed no remorse; they weren't capable of it. It was just not in their nature to feel anything beyond base emotion. They were very simple creatures and happy as such.

And so, being as such, not one of them expected, considered, or even anticipated the slight turn of events that was about to occur.

The sound was soft at first. So soft, in fact, that the goblins nearest the throne dismissed the noise as a mouse or rat that had slipped into the walls. But soon they were cocking their heads curiously and shushing their neighbors. And slowly, the sound grew into a steady, staccato rapping.

_Tap...tap...tap..._

The murmur of the goblin hoard fell away as all present, no matter how drunken or distracted, picked up on the gentle crescendo of approaching footsteps.

Those nearest the throne began to draw back as a translucent figure appeared behind the throne, walking forward as if out of the darkness and becoming more solid and real with each step into the light. A wave of power preceded the figure, dissolving filth and sweeping everything else away like dry leaves. The goblins pushed against each other in their fear to escape a room that suddenly seemed to have no exit. The being continued forward with a measured, stately grace, its features becoming more refined with each step, as though it drew strength from the fear that radiated through the room.

At last, she (for the being was most definitely female) passed through the throne itself, the layered white satin of her gown making not a whisper, and hovered at the lip of the pit as the goblins held their collective breath. A hint of a smile played across her face and then she sat serenely, and obviously real, on the great stone seat of the ruler.

The goblins breathed as one and a little one near the front tittered nervously. The woman's gaze flickered across him momentarily and then he was flung, head over heels, across the room and out the window. As they listened with wide, horrified eyes, his echoing wail was cut off with a _thunk_. A weak moan revealed to them that he yet lived, but whether that was by accident or design...

_Tap._

One click of the woman's toe against the hard floor brought every eye to her with rapt, terrified attention. The smile whispered across her features again, and then she began to speak. And she continued on relentlessly, even when every creature in the room had fallen to its knees before her, even when some were lying prostrate on the floor and trembling.

Thus began the reign of the White Queen.

_Aboveground. Sarah's room.  
One day after the fall of the Goblin King._

Sarah's hands trembled. She clasped them tightly together on her lap, but that did nothing to stop the butterflies in her stomach. Her three friends were arrayed before her.

"All of it?" she whispered, trying to come to grips with what they had just told her.

"Every last scrap," Hoggle nodded. "I'd be surprised if Jareth has enough power left to keep a human mind inside that owl's body."

Sarah's breath exploded from her lungs in an astonished rush.

"Tis true, my lady! What once was the king's now belongs to thee. That is, his magic as well as the entire kingdom!" Didymus was pleased as anything at the heights his friend had risen to.

Sarah stared back and forth between him and the dwarf, at a complete loss. She turned to Ludo, who was eyeing her with curiosity and concern.

"Sawah…fwiend?" he queried and she couldn't help but smile. At least in one person's eyes, nothing had changed.

"Of course!" She embraced the beast. "I will _always_ be your friend." Hoggle and Didymus exchanged glances.

"But not," Hoggle ventured, "our...queen?" He said the word haltingly, as if testing a foreign fruit.

Sarah shook her head. "I can't just pick up and leave. I just got Toby back! I want to get to know him now, to be a _real_ sister." Her throat tightened with emotion. "I've already wasted so much time...he needs me."

"But Sarah, _we_ needs you too!" he protested. "Nobody else can run things now. Nobody!"

Didymus nodded. "That is the way the magic works, my lady. It is thy duty!"

She frowned at them. "I don't even know the first thing about running a kingdom, much less a magical one..."

A loud crash interrupted her and the trio spun to see Ludo with his head poking out the window. Broken glass was everywhere, yet the beast was luvkily unharmed. Even as Sarah pulled him away from the jagged opening, he continued to stare fixedly outside. She glanced curiously, almost lazily, out into the night...and then she saw it.

Boldly perched on the tree branch right outside her bedroom window, a snowy owl.

She started to back away, and then she remembered. A slow smile slid across her face as she peered into the darkness. "What are _you_ doing here?" she all but sneered. "You don't have any power over anything, much less me, anymore!"

The owl hooted a soft warning.

"Sarah, wait! He can help you!" Hoggle interrupted. The dwarf hurried to her side, though he still glared suspiciously at the owl.

"Reeaaally?" Sarah drawled. "And why would he do that?" Didymus joined them at the window, clambering up on Ludo's shoulders for a better view.

"Because..." The owl gave a sharp screech and Hoggle flinched.

"Because..." Didymus began, and the owl drew itself up on the branch, flapping its wings alarmingly. Confused, Sarah took a step back, but Didymus continued bravely. "Because, my lady, he doth love thee."

The owl subsided immediately and turned its back on the observers. Sarah gaped at Didymus, and then turned speculative dark eyes on the sulking bird. "Of course," she whispered. "But what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl..."

Her friend watched with hope as she determinedly faced them.

"Okay, I'll do it. But here's how it will be done..."

_Underground. The Labyrinth.  
Six months after the fall of the Goblin King._

The realm was divided into three provinces. Those within the great stone walls of the Labyrinth were in Lord Hoggle's jurisdiction. The dark forest and all of its inhabitants looked to Lord Ludo. And the Goblin City fell under the rule of Lord Didymus (who still preferred to be called Sir).

The castle was off limits to all but the three lords and the White Queen herself. No one ever saw the queen enter or leave the castle and no spying on windows or gardens revealed her presence. But always when a problem arose, she arrived like a whisper on the wind.

She always wore the same white satin dress, accented with black lace and ribbons. Her long dark hair always flowed freely down her back and her large, beautiful butterfly wings were never tangled or hindered by it, and there was almost always a delicate butterfly fluttering somewhere on her pale skin. She always wore the same mask, a mixture of feathers and white rose petals, which concealed her eyes as well as her identity.

And there was always, always a snowy owl hovering over her shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Why the Owl Followed

_Aboveground. Central Community College.  
Three years after the fall of the Goblin King._

Sarah was in the middle of Music History when she got the summons. Pulling out a pocket mirror, she ran her fingers through her hair in the pretense of examining her appearance. Anyone looking over her shoulder would have seen only her reflection, but Sarah saw a much different image.

Ludo appeared on the small surface, a worried expression on his furry face. "Sawah...come..." he pleaded, and then stepped aside to reveal the scene behind him. Only practice (from many, many similar disasters) kept Sarah from gasping aloud. A large area of the forest was in flames and fireys with singed ears and tails were bouncing off burning limbs like over-cooked, hyperactive cotton-candy fluffs.

Snapping the mirror shut, Sarah quickly excused herself from class. As she strode purposefully down the hall, she sent out her own summons.

"_Jareth...come..."_

As she stepped through the double doors and ducked around the side of the building, a snowy owl swept down from above, landing agilely on her left shoulder. She glanced up at it with a smile, touched fingers to wingtip, and walked forward.

Two steps was all it took to cross her self-made border to the other realm. Sarah Williams in faded jeans and a loose blouse was gone, replaced by the White Queen in all her splendor. Another two steps took her to Ludo's side in the burning forest. The shaggy beast gave an earth-shattering roar, doing his best to keep the fireys away from the fire and, as their name implied, it was not an easy task. The fire itself had been left mostly unchecked.

Sarah walked forward gracefully, enjoying for a moment the feeling of truly being _herself_ as she had been ever since that fateful day three years ago. As difficult as it was to hide her power Aboveground and as tiring as it was to juggle two lives, she still could not imagine giving up one for the other.

The fire crackled and blazed before her and she bent to scoop up a handful of smoldering ashes. Though they still glowed with life, the heat did not scorch her hands. Lifting them up, she blew the ashes gently towards the fire and as they left her hand they turned from sooty black to pure white, multiplying and picking up speed until a concentrated blizzard had erupted from Sarah's soft breath. In minutes snow covered the area, extinguishing the flames and blanketing the charred trees with a soothing layer of ice.

She picked her way carefully through the burned woods, checking to make sure that the fire was completely extinguished. The owl, perched on a branch safely away from the danger zone, hooted a compliment at her strategy and Sarah gave it a nod of acknowledgement. With the fire quelled, the fireys had vanished into the forest again, though their raucous voices could still be heard somewhere just out of sight, complaining about party crashers. Shaking his great head at their antics, Ludo shuffled towards Sarah.

"Sawah...save...Ludo...thank!" Sarah giggled, but then Ludo's eyes widened and he gave a startled roar.

"Ludo? What-" Something knocked her to the ground and a loud crash echoed through the forest. Whirling around quickly, she saw the owl flopping on the ground with one wing bent at an odd angle. Just beyond it laid a fallen branch, rotted through and consumed like kindling by the fire. Had the owl not knocked her aside, the branch would have surely hit her, probably resulting in a serious head wound.

"Oh no, Jareth!" She carefully lifted the wounded owl and clasped it gently to her breast. "Ludo, we're leaving!" The beast gave a slow nod and Sarah took two steps forward, back to her home Aboveground.

_Aboveground. Sarah's room.  
Three years after the fall of the Goblin King._

Jareth woke to darkness and jerked upright as he realized two things simultaneously. One, his injury had been healed, and two, he was human. Something stirred beside him and he flinched away from the shapeless shadow. Switching from avian to human vision took a bit of adjustment, especially since human eyes were so much inferior in the dark.

A hand touched his and another rubbed his back gently. "Shhh...it's okay, we're home."

Sarah. He breathed a sigh of relief and reached for her, pulling her willing form into his arms. "You healed me."

"You saved my life," she mumbled sleepily against his neck. "What did you expect?"

He snorted. "A little more gratitude on your part."

She giggled and turned her face up to his. Jareth hesitated only a moment before claiming her lips in a searing kiss. They only had until dawn, after all, and he knew it was taxing on Sarah to keep him in his true form for even that long. But it had been so long since...

"Yes, it has," Sarah murmured as she slid beneath the covers. "Come, love," she teased. "Time is short."

No more words were necessary.

When Sarah woke the next day, the late afternoon sun was shining through her curtains. She stretched luxuriously, noting the tired ache behind her eyes that had refused to vanish. Such was often the case after a night with Jareth. Something about his transformation leeched away more than just power or magic. Or perhaps it was the energy she expended after transforming him. She reached across the bed to touch the empty space beside her, unsurprised yet disappointed.

A soft hoot drew her attention to the window sill. She smiled at the owl. "Hi, handsome. How's that wing today?" The owl flapped its wings twice and dipped out the window in search of breakfast.

As soon as it was gone, Sarah flopped back onto the pillows and rubbed her eyes tiredly. She really _was_ more exhausted today than she should be. Make some breakfast was what she needed too, though more sleep was what sounded best. She crawled out of bed as the bird returned with a still squirming mouse.

"Not in the house," she said with an exasperated sigh. The owl gave an avian equivalent of an eye roll and swept out the window again. Sarah was nearly positive he did that just to annoy her.

Their relationship was an odd one. It had been a full year before they began to trust each other. At first, they had worked together by necessity to preserve the Underground, but Sarah's knowledge of Jareth's feelings softened her heart to him and the wrongs of the past eventually began to fade, resulting in an easy friendship...as much as can be between a woman and an owl.

Jareth's job was mostly to guide her around the various lands of the realm. Even with Sarah's enhanced ability to understand the hoots and whistles an owl makes, there was not a lot an owl could do. Sarah soon began experimenting with the magic independently, to Jareth's extreme disproval. Until the day she stumbled upon a way to restore his true form, if only temporarily. It was easiest to do Underground, but they rarely spent enough time there for it to be practical, and all were agreed that appearing with the former king would be unwise. Aboveground it was only possible at night, if she wanted to remain conscious afterwards, and all but impossible to maintain once a new day arrived. But it was enough.

Though she had grown comfortable in the owl's presence, she found herself shy when confronted with a human Jareth once again, especially now that she was totally aware of his feelings and there was no contest raging between them. Luckily, it wasn't often an issue, and Sarah had a lot of time to herself to consider the past, future, and her own feelings.

Six months after their first meeting as friends, they became lovers. And though the transformation left Sarah drained each morning, she passed it off as exhaustion due to lack of sleep and other 'strenuous activities' that occurred. To Jareth, anyway. It was harder to lie to herself.

Author's Note: There is an unwritten story here, the detailed story of how Jareth and Sarah became lovers. Maybe someday I'll write it. Probably not. Use your imagination. I know for a fact that there is more than enough inspiration out there.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: In this chapter, you will find the scene immediately inspired by Nene Thomas's "Queen of Owls". It occurs at the moment where Sarah returns to the Underground after receiving Hoggle's summons. Look at the picture when you read the scene. You'll see it.

Chapter Three: The Challenger

_Aboveground. Metropolitan Theatre.  
Ten years after the fall of the Goblin King._

The lights were dimmed. A single spotlight shone in the center of an empty stage. The audience, a full house, was waiting with bated breath. And then she stepped into the halo of light.

_The White Queen_.

Not that any in this world would recognize her as such. The light reflected brilliantly off of her white dress and pale skin, so that she seemed to glow from within. A thrill of anticipation swept through the crowd and Sarah drank it all with a bewitching smile, though she had eyes only for one. Front and center, not ten feet from where she stood on stage, her little brother Toby.

Today was his eleventh birthday and eleven is a very important age to little boys. She gave him a special smile and saw him return it with wide-eyed wonder before she struck the graceful pose that signaled the orchestra to begin.

It was the first aria she had ever written, from what critics were hoping would eventually grow into a smashing new musical, about a little boy who is kidnapped by goblins and goes on a wonderful and magical adventure. She hadn't bothered to tell them that the aria was her sole accomplishment since her graduation five years ago, nor was there likely to be a full-fledged musical anytime soon. Balancing her two lives never got any easier and the older Toby got the less he relied on her. Whereas her popularity in the Underground was soaring to new heights with each day of continued peace, in the world of her birth she was beginning to feel obsolete.

_You're too young for such thoughts_, she chided herself. _Just look at all the people who came to hear you sing!_

She was only a few bars into the song when she felt the summons. Without missing a beat, she let her eyes drift shut as if giving herself completely to her music. In reality, she withdrew from it, letting her body operate automatically as images blossomed across her lowered lids. Several years ago, she had succeeded in creating a new way of communicating that didn't require the use of mirrors, crystal balls, scrying pools, or anything other than the mind and the magic. Even Jareth had been impressed with that one.

Hoggle appeared almost immediately, looking unusually disheveled. His cap had been knocked off and his short hair was sticking up in all directions. He was glancing around nervously and as soon as he saw Sarah he began to babble. "Saraaaah, you better get over here fast!" He wailed. "There's someone...something...ulp!" He took off running and the picture immediately began to fade as he lost his concentration, but not before she caught a glimpse of something impossibly large and blood red. The last thing she heard was Hoggle's terrified wail before she was again alone on the stage.

There was complete silence. For a moment, her mind struggled with the implications of Hoggle's message and the implications of the lack of music in her present situation. She realized her face was flushed and she was breathing hard, and took a deep, calming breath. As she exhaled, the orchestra thundered back in and she nearly jumped in surprise. Her voice responded automatically, picking up the song only a half beat late. Sarah remembered writing that pregnant pause into the middle of the aria and counted her blessings that her lapse had fallen right at that moment and not at some other point when the audience might have been alerted to her unusual reaction.

Her eyes fell on the little boy in the front row. Hoggle needed her, her kingdom needed her, but she couldn't just run out on this performance. Toby would be heartbroken and she _could not_ explain to him what had been so important that she had left in the middle of his birthday song.

She felt a faint flicker from Hoggle and a sense of horrible wrongness filled her. Something unnatural was happening and the creature she had glimpsed, whatever it was, filled her dread.

Her voice broke on the next note and she saw the orchestra conductor twitch and gape at her in amazement, but as if it had been deliberate, Sarah built on the error, pouring raw emotion into her singing with such force that she swayed on her feet. She was torn between two worlds, her love of each threatening to destroy the other. All of her power was not enough to hold them both together. She lifted her arms as the aria spiraled into a dizzying crescendo, barely aware that her hands were crabbed into claws that grasped futilely at the air. The piercing final notes were half sung and half screamed.

Then she was backing out of the light to thunderous applause and into the arms of the waiting stage crew, who recognized her performance as slightly unusual at least. Leading her off the stage, they tried to make her sit, to drink some water, but she pushed past them. Tucking her wings tight against her back, much to the consternation of the crew who thought they were a static prop, she wove through the clutter of props and dressing rooms to a side door. The night air was cool and refreshing compared to the hot lights and stuffy darkness of the theatre and Sarah breathed it in with deep gulps.

There was movement from the corner of her vision and then the owl landed softly on her shoulder, managing to look concerned. He was, of course, already aware of the turmoil in Sarah's mind. He nuzzled his tufted head against her cheek and she lifted a hand to caress his soft feathers, drawing comfort from his presence...but only for a moment.

She stepped forward.

_Underground. The Outer Labyrinth.  
Ten years after the fall of the Goblin King._

In the space of a breath, the temperature dropped to freezing levels. An icy breeze lifted Sarah's hair from her neck as she appeared amidst lifeless, snow-covered trees. With a low hoot, the owl spread its wings and launched into the air from her shoulder, white wings camouflaged by winter. Squaring her shoulders for what may come, the White Queen emerged from the forest.

With an expression as cold as her name, she hid her confusion and fear as she surveyed the destruction. She had never seen anything like this Underground.

It was a battlefield. The snow was trampled and dirty, sometimes stained red. Trees had been uprooted, broken, and clawed at. Strangely, the area was deserted. There were not even any bodies. Sarah shuddered at the thought. And what about Hoggle?

As if in response to her silent query, a groan sounded from beneath an upended tree trunk. She was at his side in an instant, magically lifting the heavy log off of him. "Hoggle, what happened here?" she asked calmly, though her eyes traveled across the injuries frantically and she placed a healing hand on the dwarf's forehead.

"Sarah..." Hoggle groaned again and coughed weakly. "Ain't seen nothing like that before, not ever. It was a...a giant! Riding a huge dragon! And he ate...he ate..." Hoggle shuddered.

"Shhh it's safe now," Sarah whispered comfortingly, wondering to herself if it really was. A soft hoot drew her attention to the tree stump where the owl was perched. It was right near Hoggle's head and, presumably, was the stump from which the tree flattening the dwarf had been broken from. The owl was pecking at something with its beak and Sarah reached forward to wrench the object free. At her touch, it seemed to jump into her hand. She studied the two-inch figure, marveling at how the wood carving had been polished as smooth as glass.

A red king.

Her eyes met the owl's. "I'm going to need your help for this."

The bird fluttered to her hand and a moment later Jareth was kneeling beside her in the snow. He lifted the dwarf carefully in his arms. Luckily, Hoggle had fallen unconscious and was unable to protest. Though Didymus and Ludo had quickly accepted Sarah's relationship with the former king, Hoggle had never quite gotten over his intense dislike.

"I've healed as much damage as I can for now," she told Jareth. "But he can't stay here, not if some rogue magician is targeting me. He and the others are certainly no match against this kind of power!"

Jareth inclined his head in acknowledgement as her surveyed the scene through human eyes. "I ruled here for centuries, but I know of nothing that would have caused this." Sarah rested her cheek wearily on his shoulder. Between healing Hoggle and transforming Jareth she was completely worn out, but she still had to repair as much of the damage as she could. "You should not take on so much," Jareth said quietly. "You are too important." She lifted her head to look at him and his eyes spoke volumes.

Sarah smiled, dismissing his fears with a wave of her hand. "It's just been a long day. Take Hoggle through now and I'll follow. This will only take a minute." She knew he saw past her light words, but she was the queen now and he had no power. Still, love has its own power and she saw his jaw clench.

"We will speak of this later," was all he said. He stepped backward, eyes never leaving hers as he faded from view. A shadow passed over his face just before he was gone and Sarah had only a heartbeat to realize that the shadow was from this world and not the one he had departed to.

By the time she screamed, it was too late.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I never really found a good place to explain it, but as Sarah skill increased, so did her power. This is how she can transform Jareth out of owl form more frequently and during the daylight hours in later chapters. However, it's still extremely tolling on her, more so than it would be if she did it at night, and even more if she does it frequently.

Chapter Four: Revelations

_Aboveground. Sarah's room.  
Ten years after the fall of the Goblin King._

Sarah woke in her own room, the sunlight shining with painful brightness through the curtains. Her body ached all over as if she had been beaten black and blue and her left temple pounded with blinding pain. She turned her head with agonizing slowness to see the white owl sleeping on the lamp beside her bed. She breathed a sigh, forcing the magic of transformation out as she exhaled. The owl stirred into wakefulness as the spell hit it and then Jareth stood, a bit off balance by the unusual awakening. Seeing her awake, he swiftly dropped to one knee beside her bed.

"Sarah, you shouldn't...you're too weak for this." The desperate plea in his voice alarmed her more than the pain from her own body.

"I need you," she whispered. Her throat felt as dry as sandpaper. "What happened? Hoggle?"

"He's in the next room, healing nicely." Jareth gave her a crooked smile that almost hid his worry and relief. "The dwarf saved your life. He was unconscious one moment and the next, you screamed..." There was a tiny, ever so slight faltering of his voice. "...and he was gone so quickly I thought he had learned magic himself." He chuckled tiredly.

"And then?"

"He was back, somehow. He walked from one world to the next alone, pulling you behind him. You were...I thought..." He passed a trembling hand over his face. Sarah buried a hand in his hair, gripping him like a lifeline. There was such pain and fear in him, the like of which she had not seen since his defeat ten years ago.

"How bad?"

He raised his eyes and she saw her death reflected in their depths. "My first thought," he said carefully, "was to wonder why you were wearing a red dress."

Her hand fell away, memories of darkness and blood assaulting her senses. Her vision blurred and she felt dizzy and light-headed. Then, a cool hand on her forehead and Jareth's voice. "Not yet, sweet Sarah, stay with me. There are medicines you must take."

Slowly, she fought down the panic. "Medicines?" she managed. "What medicines?" Jareth was studying several pill bottles she had not noticed before. "Where did you get those?"

"When the dwarf returned, he was all but unconscious. As it was, I don't know how he managed to do what he did. With you...incapacitated," his grip on one of the bottles tightened reflexively, "I was quickly becoming an owl again. I've learned enough about your world to know how to summon help. When I couldn't reach your telephone in time, I dragged Hoggle over and pecked the numbers for him. I don't think either of the parties in that conversation knew exactly what was going on, but it worked well enough."

He handed her several pills, which she quickly swallowed. The pain began to abate almost immediately, a testimony to the strength of the dosage. "When they got here, they thought you were alone. They called your family."

"Oh gods," Sarah breathed. "So they're...?"

"They're here," Jareth nodded. "I've kept the dwarf hidden and they're used to my presence...though not like this. They have no clue what happened."

Sarah sighed. "Help me sit up, please. I need to see a doctor." She threw back the blanket and rolled over, grimacing at the wave of pain and exhaustion.

"You're going nowhere," Jareth replied, swiftly catching her before she half stumbled, half crawled out of bed. "The doctors have already seen you; they've already done all they can. It's your magic that saved your life anyway." He gently pushed her back down on the mattress, sliding under the covers with her when she refused to relinquish her grip on him.

After a moment, Sarah took his hand and drew it lower on her body. Amusement colored his voice, "I hardly think you're in the position to-"

"No." He drew back, the serious tone of her voice silencing him. His hand rested on the flat of her belly. "You don't understand. I need...to see...a doctor." She covered his hand with her own, staring deeply into his eyes.

Realization came over Jareth slowly. As if burned, he pulled his hand back with a startled hiss and then returned it to stroke the soft skin of Sarah's abdomen with hesitant tenderness. "When?" he breathed, cradling her in his lap like a fragile porcelain doll.

"I don't know. Not long. I have an appointment next week...or...how long was I out?"

Reminded of the horrors that may easily have already ended the fragile new life, the blood drained from Jareth's face and he stared at her in absolute terror.

The bedroom door opened and the spell broke. A white owl flew out the window. Sarah had no doubt that he would fly long and hard to burn out his staggering new fears.

"Sarah? You're awake!" It was Toby. He ran into the room and threw himself into his sister's arms, causing Sarah to grind her teeth against the pain. "Mum and Dad wouldn't tell me anything and you slept for so long!" He sniffled against the blankets, trying unsuccessfully to hide his tears.

"Hey, it's okay Tobe. I just worked a little too hard, that's all. Look, I'm fine now!" The boy snuck a glance at her and Sarah gave him a huge smile and a wink. He giggled in spite of himself and then Sarah's father and step-mother walked through the door.

"Toby, we need to talk with Sarah alone now," her father said.

Toby hopped off the bed, apparently completely reassured. "Kay," he said, rubbing at his nose as he left. His mother reached over to shut the door behind him, and then they both turned to face Sarah.

She sighed and prepared herself to fend off the slew of uncomfortable questions. "I don't know any more than you do..."

It was another two days before she could get out of bed. The owl refused to come in again, perching on the outside window sill instead. Sarah suspected he didn't want her to strain herself by transforming him and she was too tired to argue. On the third day, her parents helped her out to the back porch, where she was finally able to check on Hoggle. Jareth had hidden him in the small shed out back. He was recovering well enough on his own that she didn't need to expend any more energy healing him (and he would have refused to let her anyway).

It was another three days before she could persuade her step-mother to drive her to the hospital, and _not_ the one that had come to her rescue. She didn't want anyone asking about her abnormal recovery from the brink of death. The trip was still enough to tire her and she returned home sore and weak, but filled with a pleased inner glow that allowed her to skillfully avoid her step-mother's pointed questions.

Alone in her room, she opened the window and coaxed the owl inside. Not that it took much effort after it saw her satisfied expression. Knowing that she would only be lectured if she used magic, she contented herself for cradling the bird in her arms as she drifted off to sleep, both of them at ease for the first time in weeks.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Weakness

_Underground. The Castle Beyond the Goblin City.  
Ten years after the fall of the Goblin King._

The castle had been all but abandoned for the last decade. Sarah was never there long enough to use it and her friends had no reason to enter without her. She had forbidden anyone else to enter its walls without her express permission. But now when she needed a fortress, someplace free of distractions and prying eyes, the castle suddenly became the perfect abode.

Always before, her Aboveground home had been her sanctuary, but since her injury there had been no peace from her worried family. Finally, Sarah told them she would take a vacation, someplace quiet where she could relax and heal. The castle was at least quiet, and she _could_ relax there...provided no psychotic demon creatures were terrorizing the kingdom.

Still, she seemed to be recuperating even more quickly and her magic worked with more ease as well. Everything seemed to click into place, as if the land had been waiting for her to return to the center of her power. She shied away from those thoughts; the Underground was far too tempting and she did not want to leave her 'real' life.

_But really, would it be so bad?_

Then the summons came. Ludo, of course. Hoggle was still safely squirreled away in the palace and it wasn't possible to reach Didymus's Goblin City without first passing through the forest. Without even giving him a chance to relay the message, she summoned the owl to her side and stepped forward. This time there would be no death, no destruction, and no chance for surprise attacks by the enemy.

Ludo's beautiful forest was ablaze, the shaggy beast wailing helplessly as various small creatures clung to his fur and tried to burrow beneath it for safety. The queen's presence was felt before seen, a warm, wet breeze bringing a summer rain that easily tamed the flames. But Sarah paid no mind to the storm she had conjured, focusing all of her senses on locating the enemy.

And then he was there, not ten feet from her, a huge man with flaming red hair. He faced her alone; she saw no trace of the monster that Hoggle had mentioned.

"And you are?" she questioned coolly.

He favored her with a salacious grin. "Why, my dear, don't you know?" He held up a hand gloved in red leather and a glittering shape appeared on his palm. With a flourish, he tossed it to her with lightning speed.

Six inches from her face it stopped dead, Sarah having seen no need for elaborate gesturing. The slight tilting of her head as she examined the object was her only sign of acknowledgement.

"You're the Red King," she said finally.

The man beamed and bowed dramatically. "Bravo, your majesty. You are as wise as the legends say."

She merely stared at him.

"Well then," he shrugged, "to business. Do I have your surrender?"

A startled laugh escaped her lips. "My surrender?"

"Yes," his expression darkened, the light humor fading into a sinister glare, "you see, I have you in quite a bind." The forest fire roared to life again, flames jumping higher than before, the blinding heat searing Sarah's face and causing Ludo to roar in pain. In the center of the fire, the Red King stood, his features lost in a miasma of fire and darkness.

She smiled. "If you think a little fire-"

The summons hit her like a ton of bricks, bringing her to her knees as scattered flashes of the Goblin City overrun by stinging, biting insects and Didymus's hysterical babbling filled her mind. She cut off the images with effort, leaving the Red King's maniacal laughter bubbling in her ears.

"How much damage will be caused by your pride, White Queen?" He spat the title distastefully. "Give it up, dear. You're no match for me." The words echoed strangely and she heard the owl give an angry screech.

The owl. "Jareth," she gasped. Creating a crystal, she imbued it with as much magic as she dared part with, tossing it to him even as he transformed. He landed awkwardly, unprepared. "Go to the city! Protect Didymus and the others!"

"Sarah, wait!" he protested, but she shoved him backwards with a wave of her arm and he vanished from sight.

"Saaaraaah..." the Red King hissed, lunging for her, a black shape amid the flames. She stopped him a few feet from her.

"The White Queen to you," she growled, throwing him backwards with enough force that he tumbled head over heels, his fire extinguished. She advanced on him slowly as he lay in the snow. "You're nothing more than an elemental magician that's a bit too full of himself. King indeed!"

But the man merely laughed, his wild read hair splayed across the snow in startling contrast. Sarah frowned at him and he gave her an smirking grin. "Ezzedryx! _Come!_"

A shadow passed over them and Sarah backed away quickly. She had almost forgotten the beast; she didn't even know what she was up against. A shadow passed overhead and there was a roar from right behind her. She spun, but claws lanced through the delicate butterfly wings on her back. The pain momentarily staggered her before she let the wings dissolve...they were more illusion than reality after all. The extreme unsuitability of her usual attire struck her, but then she had never expected to engage in combat.

The creature swung at her with an arm as thick as a tree trunk and she raised her hands to erect a shield, but the Red King struck from behind and she cried out as she stumbled. The beast attacked again and Sarah was caught between them, their alternating blows slowly winnowing her strength. Gathering her remaining power, she prepared to attack.

Then a sharp pain twisted her abdomen and she gasped, falling to her knees with her arms clasped around her stomach, all thoughts of fighting fled from her mind. The next blow sent her reeling into darkness.

_Underground. The Castle Beyond the Goblin City.  
Ten years after the fall of the Goblin King._

She woke in pain with a vague fear nagging at her clouded mind. The healing of past weeks had been undone with a single battle. Sarah felt weaker now than ever before. She opened her eyes to a soft, red-orange light and she was unable to place her location. What had happened? She remembered fighting, the Red King and his beast, and then...

Sarah came fully awake with a gasp, her arms moving to protectively cover her abdomen...or trying to. It was then that she realized her predicament. She was lying on a stone slab, her arms bound at her sides by leather straps. Her ankles were similarly bound and her beautiful white dress had been nearly shredded in the battle and now hung scandalously on her form. With a thought, she repaired it...but nothing happened. She lifted her eyes to see the Red King lounging casually in a chair across the room, his eyes glittering darkly as he watched her.

"What have you done?" There was real fear in her voice.

He smiled a truly sinister smile. "Why, my dear, I've defeated a legend." He beckoned and the stone table lifted into the air. "And with it," he stood and approached slowly, "all the magic and power of the White Queen is mine." His face so close to hers. Sarah tried to draw away, but she was pinned helplessly. She could feel his breath on her cheek as his eyes roamed over her body. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling more helpless than she ever had before.

With a roar, the Red King slammed the slab back against the wall, Sarah's head cracking against it painfully. "You're a fool, White Queen! No, Sarah, a queen no more! You might have actually stood a chance if you had any knowledge of magical warfare, but you gave half your power to that bird and the battle was won then and there!" He sneered. "He _is_ the former ruler isn't he? And you trust him so much? He's probably long gone by now, after being forced to your will for all these years. But no worries, I'll hunt him down soon enough and take his power as well."

Sarah's eyes widened. The power she had given Jareth was temporary and would soon fade, leaving him as helpless as she was. She could only hope that he _had_ fled.

"So then, time to die." One of the Red King's meaty hands gripped her neck. "Beg for your life." A gesture burned away the leather straps, scorching her wrists and ankles, and he lifted her easily into the air.

She met his gaze coldly, haughtily.

His eyes narrowed menacingly. "Beg for the life of your child."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Credit for a certain attack that Jareth uses is given to Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey, authors of The Halfblood Chronicles. I have a weakness for seeing powerful villains destroyed in painfully simple ways.

Chapter Six: Strength

_Underground. No place in particular.  
In the moment between life and death._

They say that when you die your entire life flashes before your eyes.

Sarah saw two lives, neither of which was hers.

_-Flash-_

She was climbing the steps of a stage, her name up in lights as she was declared the best singer/actress of the year.

_-Flash-_

She was celebrating her birthday with her family, her _whole_ family. Her father, step-mother, and birth mother crowded around a grinning Toby as he held up her cake.

_-Flash-_

She was holding a newborn baby, her nephew, tickling his tiny toes before handing him to his proud father and exhausted wife.

_-Flash-_

She was sitting in her bedroom, which had not changed an iota, combing silver-gray hair and humming an old familiar tune that was fading away like her aged memory, fading away into darkness...

The darkness which was alive and calling to her. _Come away...come away..._ It beckoned persuasively, yet Sarah hesitated in confusion. What was happening?

That's right,_ she was dying._

_-Flash-_

She was climbing the stairs to a great throne, bowing over a leather hand that pulled her forward and offered her an equal measure of power and respect.

_-Flash-_

She was walking down a long aisle, surrounded by cheering magical creatures, and at the end of the aisle Jareth waited with a reassuring smile that still managed to look devilishly wicked. He held two glittering rings in his hand.

_-Flash-_

She was holding a newborn baby, her son, tickling his tiny toes before handing him to his proud father, who embraced her as he beheld the product of their love for the first time.

_-Flash-_

She was sitting in her bedroom, an unfamiliar room of grace and power, combing silver-gray hair and humming an old familiar tune, and a voice just out of sight took up the melody, lulling her into comforting darkness...

_Come away..._ It beckoned and Sarah moved closer dreamily. And then-

She was falling, falling down into the darkness of an oubliette. It was a trick; not a dream but a place to forget about her. A place to forget herself...

She was falling...falling...

_Falling in love..._

And the music followed after.

_Underground. The Castle Beyond the Goblin City.  
The moment after the fall of the White Queen._

The door exploded inwards as Jareth used the last of Sarah's magic to break through it. Rage danced in his eyes but the Red King gave him only the most cursory of glances.

"You're too late," he chuckled, letting Sarah's body crumple to the floor. "Too late. The White Queen is dead." He lifted a hand and the earth trembled in response. "The power of the Underground is mine!"

Jareth was at Sarah's side in an instant, lifting her into his arms and gently stroking the bruises on her neck. He shook her limp body, calling to her frantically.

"It's no use," the Red King laughed, raising his other arm to create a swirling rainbow of glitter that danced around him in a blinding halo of light. "I am truly a king now! For who but a king could do...this!" He clenched his fist and the entire castle jumped as if it were a small pebble kicked aside. He laughed again and the twinkling lights spun faster, enclosing him in a veritable cocoon of multicolored streamers.

Blinded as he was, quite literally, by his newfound power, he didn't see the former Goblin King's fist until it connected with the side of his head.

The lightshow winked out like a snuffed candle as the Red King landed on his face. He rolled over quickly to stare at Jareth in complete astonishment. Astonishment that melted into a dark anger as he stood slowly, the two men glaring murderously at each other.

At that moment, Ludo lumbered into the room, Hoggle and Didymus clinging to his broad back. The shaggy beast took one look at the scene before him, determined that Jareth had things well in hand, and shuffled over to Sarah's inert form.

The Red King moved faster than lightning, pinning Jareth against the wall by the throat. "I'll kill you the same way I killed _her_," he snarled. "Won't that be romantic, hm?" When Jareth merely glared at him silently, he tightened his grip on his victim's pale neck, shaking the former king angrily. "Aren't you afraid of me, worthless king? You were defeated in all your glory by a pathetic little girl and now you stand on death's door with only a drop of magic left. Surely you don't think you stand a chance against me now?"

A smirk appeared on Jareth's lips and he stared straight into the man's eyes with such a look that he seemed every inch the Goblin King. "How much magic do you think it takes," he said very quietly, "to stop a heart?"

The Red King's eyes widened in realization as he felt the faintest pulse of power against his hand where it gripped Jareth's neck. The last of the borrowed magic gone, it was a snowy owl that watched triumphantly as the Red King staggered backwards, mouth open in a soundless scream as he clutched his chest. Before his body hit the floor, a fiery shadow zoomed through the window, enveloping him in a blazing fireball that burned brilliantly before fading away so that nothing, not even ash, was left.

With the avian equivalent of a sigh, the bird cocked its head towards the other side of the room, where Sarah's three friends had gathered around her body. Then it let out a startled squawk.

Hoggle was kissing Sarah.

_Underground. The Castle Beyond the Goblin City.  
The moment before the fall of the Red King._

Ludo lumbered into the room, Hoggle and Didymus clinging to his broad back. The shaggy beast took one look at the scene before him, determined that Jareth had things well in hand, and shuffled over to Sarah's inert form.

"My lady!" Didymus scampered down and lifted one of her hands.

As he climbed down more slowly, Hoggle yelled to the dog, "Well? Is she al'right?"

Didymus replaced Sarah's hand gently by her side with horrified dignity. "My...lady..." He stuttered in shock.

Ludo sat down suddenly, nearly squashing Hoggle. "Sawah...dead?" he whimpered.

Hoggle hurried around the bulk of fur, wringing his hands when he saw Sarah. "Oh dear, oh dear," he mumbled. "She told me what ta do, she did. Powerful Aboveground healing. She _told_ me to." He looked to Didymus with pleading desperation.

Didymus, for his part, was looking at the dwarf as if he had taken leave of his senses. All he got out of it was _Aboveground healing_. "Well, go on then, man," he said finally. "Save her, if thou canst!"

"Oh dear, oh dear," Hoggle mumbled under his breath, dropping to his knees beside Sarah's head. Pinching her nose carefully between two of his thick fingers, he took a deep breath...

Hoggle was lifted bodily from Sarah and thrown head over heels across the room. Luckily, being a sturdily built dwarf, the tumble did little to harm him. He climbed unsteadily to his feet and shook his head blearily, only to see an enraged Jareth storming towards him.

"And just what do you think you were doing, Hoggle?" he roared.

Hoggle gaped at him dumbly. "Yer…yer majesty?"

Jareth scowled. "Get out of my castle, all of you!" He gestured to Ludo and Didymus. "You filthy little, perverted, hateful-"

A weak cough. "Jareth..."

He reversed direction so quickly that Hoggle blinked his eyes deliberately open and shut a few times in the aftermath of the king's wrath.

Across the room, Sarah was breathing shallowly, looking battered but alive. He knelt beside her, cradling her face in his hands. She started to smile at him, but then her eyes drifted shut and she fell limp again. Jareth checked her pulse frantically; she was merely unconscious. He sat back on his heels, relieved almost to the point of weeping.

"How?" he asked in a strangled voice.

Hoggle drew himself up proudly. "CPR," he declared, before high-tailing it out of the room with Ludo and Didymus hot on his heels.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: The Way Forward

_Underground. The Castle Beyond the Goblin City.  
Five days after the fall of the Red King._

Sarah was getting used to waking in unexpected situations. This time she opened her eyes to what she recognized as the royal suite of the castle. As she let herself drift slowly to wakefulness, her gaze wandered across the room. It felt different, somehow more right. As did she.

There, it was that man in the window. The room that she hadn't even realized felt empty was completed by that man who belonged so perfectly in it. He was dressed from head to toe in glittering black, his wild blonde hair standing out in vividly. He looked, she realized with surprise, exactly as he had when they first met.

Her soft gasp made him stiffen where he sat on the window sill. He turned but did not approach her, which brought an odd pain to her heart. "You're awake."

She nodded slowly. "Yes."

"How are you feeling?"

She struggled to sit up and he moved to help her, seating himself stiffly on the edge of the bed, half turned away from her. "I thought I was dying."

"You were dead." He refused to look at her. "Hoggle revived you. Some Aboveground practice called CPR."

"Oh." She stared at him, perplexed by his coldness. "The Red King, is he-"

"I killed him." The same clipped speech, emotions carefully hidden.

"And that creature he had?" She frowned, trying to recall the name. "Ezzedryx."

"A fire elemental he had captured. It," his lip curled in a sneer, "consumed him upon his death, and then vanished."

"Oh..."

Something had changed. He was throwing up barriers, blocking her out in a way he hadn't done in years.

Impulsively, she threw her arms around his waist, burying her face in his back and ignoring the tension that rippled through his shoulders. "I thought I was going to lose you." She bit back a sob. "He thought the magic I gave you was permanent and he was going to kill you to get it back. I'm almost positive I lost the baby..." An ugly wail escaped her lips.

Jareth turned instantly, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Sarah, shh, the child is fine. I had a healer check while you recovered."

She looked up at him, desperate to believe. "Really?"

He nodded and stepped out of her embrace. He conjured a crystal, balancing it on his fingertips. "And now it's time for you to return home."

"Return home?" She stared at the crystal, a realization slowly coming to her. "Jareth, why don't I have any power?"

"The Red King defeated you, Sarah," he replied almost gently.

"And you defeated the Red King," she whispered. The puzzle pieces clicked into place.

His apparent magical power and her lack, his illegitimate coldness, even the way he was dressed, it was all to remind her.

"You're the Goblin King."

He chuckled arrogantly. "You say that so accusingly. Could I be anything else?"

She glared at him. "And you're sending me home? Just like that? After everything we've been through, after everything..."

"There is nothing between us." His gloved hand cut through the air angrily. "It was a convenient relationship and now that order is restored, you may return to your life as it was." He held the crystal out to her. "How many times have I offered you your dreams? This time there is nothing to stop you."

Her fingers splayed over her abdomen. "Don't. Tell. Me. To forget about the baby," she ground out through gritted teeth. "I can't and I know you won't either."

He didn't move. He was staring directly at her, but she had the impression he wasn't seeing her at all. "I won't offer again," he warned. "If you do not go now, you will never be able to leave."

_Click._ Another puzzle piece. Her eyes softened with unshed tears. Of course he had seen how she fought to maintain her life Aboveground through all these years. Now that she no longer had the power to travel between realms, he would not force her to give up a life she could finally live.

She eyed the crystal skeptically. "Will that _really_ give me my dreams?"

She could _see_ the tension ripple across his body. He hated to be mocked.

"Yes," he all but growled.

"Fine," Sarah snapped back, snatching the crystal from his outstretched hand.

She looked into it. It dissolved. Nothing happened.

Jareth stared at her uncomprehending, and then sighed tiredly. "All right, what did you wish?"

The faintest glint of humor twinkled in Sarah's eyes. "Why, Jareth," she teased, "That's not exactly the proposal I had in mind. I think your crystal needs some work in the romance department."

He gaped at her and then stumbled forward, all but falling into her arms and burying his face in her hair. "What are you saying?" he breathed. She felt a fine trembling in his body. "You worked so hard...for ten years..."

"Yes I did," she smiled. "We've built a wonderful kingdom together, haven't we?"

He pulled back to study her face. "There's more to it than that, isn't there?" She lowered her gaze but he cupped her chin so that their faces were only inches apart. "Tell me."

"I...I had a dream, or a vision...or something," she stuttered. He looked at her questioningly and she frowned as she tried to remember. "I saw my entire life, how it would be Aboveground, and then how it would be here. And I was happy in both, but Aboveground I was just sharing everyone else's happiness. I wasn't really happy for myself. But here, there was...so much more."

She touched his cheek gently and he cradled her hand against his face wonderingly. "I thought you would grow to hate me if I asked you to stay," he murmured.

"Put away your 'scary Goblin King' act, Jareth. That game ended a long time ago." She smiled at him impishly. "So do I get my wish or not?"

Chuckling, he leaned forward to claim her lips.

"Let the dream begin..."

Completed June 24 2005

Final Author's Notes:

I envisioned a world where Sarah and Jareth were mature enough to put aside their stubbornness and pride, and all the barbs they traded throughout the movie, for the good of the Underground, where they acted more like responsible adults and less like spoiled children. I love the movie (obviously, since I'm writing fanfiction), and if you've read my other stories you know that I quote lines from it like crazy, but it is definitely melodramatic enough to appeal to children. What if The Labyrinth hadn't been a children's movie? Maybe it would have been darker, but maybe they would have sat down over tea and come to the conclusion that Sarah was perfectly happy to give Jareth a chance without him stealing babies or feeding her drugged peaches to get her attention.

_What happened to the whole stealing babies and granting wishes thing anyway?_ Well, I have a theory. At no point in the movie are we told that Jareth does that on a regular basis. In fact, we're told that Sarah got her wish granted only because Jareth loved her and had given her power. Surely he didn't love every girl that read that book. So my theory is that he is just the ruler of some magical realm and fell in love with Sarah, created the book for her in the hopes that it would not only solve one of the major concerns in her life (caring for a whiny baby) but also lead her to him.

_Where did the idea of power passing to victors come from?_ It only makes sense, once you consider that Jareth doesn't HAVE to keep being the Goblin King because he must keep stealing babies and granting wishes. What usually happens when a ruler is defeated? Someone else takes the throne. And it makes his gamble with Sarah even more dangerous, since he was risking everything by giving her a chance to defeat him if he didn't win his love. They were playing two very different games there: Sarah thinking it was about her brother and Jareth thinking it was about Sarah. It also made the ending of my story work out rather well, and believe it or not I didn't have that ending planned until midway through. I had something completely different in mind initially!

_What's with the butterfly wings?_ I don't know, that's just how the picture was. Perhaps you could say that Sarah wanted to make herself look more fantastic (that is to say, fantasy-like) so that she would fit in better with the creatures of the Underground.

I usually respond to reviews with each new chapter, but since this is completed...when you review (if you do) just leave your email if you want a response and I will drop you a line. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!


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